Sunday, September 8, 2013

Falling into the Arts

Lately I have found myself positively smitten with art pieces. If you had asked me a month ago whether I was an art person or a music person (because in my tiny world, you can only be one or the other) I would have said music; hands down.

That was until I discovered this little beauty...

This painting is actually super tiny at only 4"x6". But boy oh boy did I find it beautiful. I scored this tiny gem on a bidding website called Listia, which I discovered just a few short months ago.

Needless to say, this spurred a love for art that I previously had not enjoyed! Since my little discovery, I have taken the time to explore my artistic side (as limited as it may be) and have had the great pleasure of viewing the art of other amazing people. I've viewed things from old school artists such as Giovanni Boldini and Scott Naismith to more modern artists like Sarah Bliss Rasul.

With this new passion came an amazing opportunity. This weekend I had the immense pleasure of participating in the Kennett, MO Fall into Arts Festival. At the festival, I was able to represent the American Red Cross and teach Citizens CPR (aka Hands-Only CPR) and recruit volunteers, all while promoting our Holiday Cards for Heroes program! Not only did I get to view amazing artists and their work, I got to watch people young and old create art right before my own eyes; and for a good cause none-the-less.

Here's how the program works:

Volunteers and members ask everyone we can get to stand still for a moment to sign or create a holiday card for our Veterans and Soldiers overseas. We then take these cards and distribute them to other locations where they do the same. When the holidays come, we then distribute these handmade/signed cards to our Soldiers/Veterans as a Thank You for the services they gave and continue to give to our country. It's such a wonderful and thoughtful program that I am sooooo pleased to be a part of.